Emergency Medicine

Overview of Residency Training

To become an emergency medicine physician, three or four years of residency training is required, depending upon the residency program.

According to the AMA and AAMC, there are 4,922 residents training in 153 ACGME-accredited emergency medicine residency programs. Eighty-two percent are USMDs, 6.5% are international medical graduates, and 11.5% are osteopathic graduates. 

To become an emergency medicine physician, three or four years of residency training is required, depending upon the residency program. According to the AMA and AAMC, there are 4,922 residents training in 153 ACGME-accredited emergency medicine residency programs. Eighty-two percent are USMDs, 6.5% are international medical graduates, and 11.5% are osteopathic graduates. 

2010 Match Data

Emergency medicine is a moderately competitive specialty. In the 2010 NRMP Match, nearly 1,600 positions were available. However, approximately 6% of U.S. senior medical student applicants failed to match. The mean USMLE Step 1 score among matched applicants was 222. Among unmatched applicants, the mean score was 206.  

Matching into an allopathic emergency medicine residency program has been more difficult for osteopathic applicants. However, it is far from being impossible. In fact, 163 osteopathic applicants matched into an allopathic residency program in 2010. Osteopathic applicants may also apply for positions in AOA-approved emergency medicine residency programs. In recent years, there have been over 40 such programs.

For international medical graduates, securing a residency position in the field is quite challenging. That said, 137 IMGs were able to land a position in the 2010 Match. However, many are unsuccessful. IMGs are considered independent applicants, and, in 2010, 34% of independent applicants failed to match.

Why pursue Emergency Medicine as a Career?

Emergency medicine physicians discuss reasons why they chose to pursue a career in emergency medicine:

Craig A. Dues, D.O.
Olivia Bailey, MD
Christopher Russi, DO
Hans House, MD
Stephen Cantrill, MD
Nick Jouriles, MD
John Marx, MD
Carl Bonnett, MD
Deb Houry, MD
Peter Pons, MD

2010 Emergency Medicine Physician Compensation/Salary

Find out how much an emergency medicine physician makes

Subspecialties of Emergency Medicine

Subspecialties in which emergency medicine physicians can pursue fellowship training leading to board certification include hospice and palliative medicine, medical toxicology, pediatric emergency medicine, sports medicine, and undersea and hyperbaric medicine.

Excelling in your Core Clerkships

In a recent NRMP survey of emergency medicine residency program directors, 79% cited "honors in clinical clerkships" as a factor in selecting applicants to interview. Our book, Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success shows students proven strategies for success in core clerkships. Nineteen U.S. medical school have made our book a required or recommended text for third-year medical students. Read reviews of the book and Q & A with the authors. The first chapter is available free to read. The book can be purchased through our online store or at Amazon.

Excelling in your Emergency Medicine Clerkship

Reading for your EM rotation

Getting the most from your emergency medicine clerkship

Emergency Medicine Residency Application

Almost all residency programs require applicants to submit their completed application through the Electronic Residency Application Service, also known as ERAS. ERAS does not, however, allow applicants to submit their curriculum vitae or CV as part of this application. Instead, ERAS requires all applicants to transfer information from their CV to the ERAS Application Form. It is the ERAS Application Form that is then sent to programs for review along with the the rest of your application.

Once the application is received, program directors will read it closely and carefully. The application will be used to assess the quality of your written communication skills. Programs place considerable emphasis on communication skills because effective communication has been shown to directly affect the quality of care given to patients.

Therefore, it is imperative that all information in your application is well communicated and error-free. In our experiences reviewing and editing applications, errors are common. We agree with the words of Dr. David Overton, Program Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Michigan State University Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies. "Many faculty members believe, deep in their souls, that the care with which you treat your ERAS application (a pretty important document) corresponds with the care you will treat your residency and your patients. Misspellings, poor punctuation, lousy grammar, etc., will get circled on the application (in RED ink!!)." These errors can prevent even applicants with the highest USMLE scores from securing interviews.

We have considerable experience reviewing and editing the ERAS Application Form can make sure that your application is polished, professional, and powerful.

Our ERAS Application Review/Editing Service can be purchased through our online store. All clients will work directly with Dr. Samir Desai, author of The Successful Match.

Important Information for Aspiring Emergency Medicine Physicians

Emergency medicine as a career choice

Access to care among emergency department patients

Ethics in the trenches: preparing for ethical issues in the emergency department

Ethics in the trenches: Part 2. Case studies of ethical challenges in the emergency medicine

The globalization of emergency medicine and its importance for public health

The future of emergency medicine public health research

Privacy and confidentiality in emergency medicine: obligations and challenges

Informed consent and refusal of treatment: challenges for emergency physicians

Treating the world without leaving your ED: opportunities to deliver culturally competent care

Residency training in emergency medicine: challenges of the 21st century

Defenses to malpractice: what every emergency physician should know

Career satisfaction in emergency medicine

Tolerance for uncertainty, burnout, and satisfaction with the career of emergency medicine

Physician career satisfaction within specialties